Improvement in satchels



PATENT GEEIGE.

FERDINAND C.. SCHMIDT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SATCHELS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,935, dated August8,1871.

To all whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND C. SCHMIDT, of Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Traveling-Bags, Satchels, &c.; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, olea-r, and exact description thereof, whichwill enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciication,in which drawing- Figure l is a side elevation of a frame fortraveling-bags containing my improvement. Fig. 2

'is a top view. Fig. 3 is a section in the line .r a'

of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a portion of a bagframe and handleconnected in the ordinary manner by a ring and strap. Fig. 5 shows myinvention applied to both jaws.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to traveling-bags, satchels, and similararticles; and consists in a novel mode of connecting the handles of sucharticles to the frames thereof, the connection consisting of staplesarranged lengthwise ofthe frames and hinged to the handle-caps, so thata handle thus connected can swing over sidewise in packing and lie iiatover the top of the bag.

Myinvention constitutes an improvement over the common mode ofconnecting handles to bags by means of rings arranged transversely tothe frame and conned to the top thereof by means of plates or straps, asis illustrated in Fig. 4. That mode of connection by transverse ringsdoes not permit the handle to swing over laterally, but the handle iskept always in the same position above the frame, because liexure isonly permitted in the direction of the length of the frame, andtherefore considerable space is occupied by the handle in packing whichis saved in my improvement.

My improvement enables me to apply a handle to both jaws of a frame byxing the staples in a horizontal position to the vertical sides of thejaws, as is shown in the drawing.

A designates a bag-frame, and B its handle. The ends of the handle areincased in handle-caps C, whose ends are made with loops D which goloosely around staples E that are arranged on the frame in such a mannerthat the staples shall be lengthwise of the frame. The staples consistof pieces of metal or of metal wire whose ends, which are bent at rightangles, are reduced in ends of the staples I form thereon shoulders G,

and, before I insert the staples in the jaws of the frame, I slipflange-plates H over their ends so that the said flanges will beinclosed between the outside of the jaws and the shoulders G tostrengthen the connection and improve its appearance.

My improvement enables me to place a handle on both the jaws of abed-frame, so that both j aws can be held closed by means of thehandles, even when they are not locked. This can not be convenientlydone by the use of the transverse ring and strap shown in Fig. 4,because the male jaw I closes into the other jaw and leaves no uppersurface upon which the transverse ring and strap, Fig. 4, can besecured, and if such ring and strap were placed on the side of the jaw Ithe handle would necessarily be at right angles to that of the otherjaw, and the two handles could only be brought alongside of each otherin case the handles themselves were made of suicientlyilexible materialto be bent independently of their connections.

In applying' my improvement to both jaws, as shown in Fig. 5, l insertthe ends of the staples E horizontally through the sides of the jaws andsecure them as before explained, the loops of the handle-caps beingfirst hinged to the staples and the staples arranged lengthwise of theframe, as explained, so that the handles can be turned up on theirhinges and be brought together over the top of the frame when the bag isto be carried.

The flanges H can be cast with the staples instead of being separatetherefrom, and, in either case, they form bearingsurfaces or shoulderswhich support the connection of the staples with` the frame.

I also combine with the staples an escutcheonplate, K, which I place onthe top, outside of the jaws, and secure thereto by passing the ends ofthe staples through it, as is shown in Fig. 5. The escutcheon-plate addsstrength to the handle connection, and also gives a better finish andrelief to that part of the bag. It can also be secured to the jaws bypins or rivets, as is set forth in the drawing.

I/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The staples E, arranged up on atraveling-bag lengthwise of the frame,in combination with This specification signed this 23d day of Mayfhandles or handle-caps arranged loosely on said 1871. staples,substantially as described. F. G. SCHMIDT.

2. The staples E, arranged horizontally on both jaws of the framelengthwise thereof, with the Witnesses: caps CD hung loosely upon saidstaples7 as herein E. F. KASTENHUBER, described7 for the piuposespeoiiied. E. A. ELLSWORTH.

